falley



L. H. FALLEY WITNESS.

ORE CLEANING AND' CONCENTRATING APPARATU.

rum/mow FILED AUG. 1. 191a.

Patented Aug. 5, 1919.

2 SHEETS-$HEET 1.

- A TTIORNEY L. H. FALLEY.

ORE CLEANING AND couczmanme APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FIL'ED AUG-l, 1918.

1,312,028. latented Aug. 5,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- In? I a m d o WITNESS J. INVENTOR.

" A TTORNEY riaiaoa.

specification of Letters Patent.

OFFICE.

a: NSAS CITY, MIS$OURI Patented Au a, rare.

application filed August 1, 1918. Serial No. 24?,859.

useful Improvements in Ore Cleaning and Concentrating Apparatus, of which the folill lib

lowing is a full and exact specification.

This invention relates to ore treating apparatus, and aims to provide improved means for cleaning and concentrating various kinds of ores from rock, sands, chats, etc., after the same has undergone a preliminary classification.

For this purpose T provide a tank apparatus through which the material to be treated is carried'in a peculiar manner and the speed and action of the cleaning and separating operation regulated practically entirely by the application of various streams of water supplied to various compartments of the tank. The construction of the tank is such as to produce a separating action due both to the normal downward flow of the material under gravity through the tank, and also to a novel application of water currents interrupting said downward.

flow in such a manner as to not only exert a further cleaning and separating action upon the material but also conduct the separated products from the tank at the proper intervals.

Tt is also sought to provide an economical and efficient apparatus of the type referred to, and of such a construction that the same may be manufactured, installed and oper-.

ated at a comparatively small cost.

With these general objects in view the invention will now be described in detail by reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating one form of construction which has been found to be both practical and effi cient in operation, after which those features of the improvements which are deemed to be novel will be set forth in the appended claims.

in the drawings Figure 1 is a central vertical sectional view of an apparatus embodying the present improvements Figs. 2 and 3 are sections taken on the lines 2-2 and 83, respectively, of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4: is a plan view of the apparatus, on

a slightly larger scale (the feed chute being omitted) and Figs. 5 and 6 are transverse sections taken left hand compartment.

on the lines 5-5 and 66, respectively, of Fig. 1, also SllOlWll on a larger scale.

Referring now to said drawings in detail, these show a tank 8 containing a pair of'vertical partitions 10, whereby auxiliary chambers 12 are formed at the opposite sides of the tank and extending the entire height of the same. Connecting the partitions 10 is a narrower partition 14 extending the full height of the tank and serving, in conjunction with a bathe partition structure hereinafter described, to subdivide the space between thepartitions 12 into a series of right and left hand compartments through which the flow of the ma tcrial is passed back and forth in an irregular course through the tank. A chute or trough 16 (Fig. 1) is provided for feeding the material into the upper left hand compartment, at the bottom of which is an inclined trough-shaped partition 18 having bottom perforations 20. The material discharges into a guard casing 22 located in position to direct the material on to the up per portion of said partition 18, along with a current of water supplied through a port 24: from a stand pipe 26 which is connected with any suitable source of water supply, a series of valves 28 being provided at differ ent points for regulating the flow into the tank. The upper left hand compartment communicates through an overflow port 30 with the upper right hand compartment, which latter has an overflow outlet 32 provided with a cupshapcd guard 34, from which an inclined trough 36 leads down to a port 38 also communicating with the upper Below the perforated partition 18 is an inclined imperforate partition 40, below which is another imperforate and similarly inclined partition 42. Between these partitions 40 and 4:2 is thus formed in effect a closed compartment into which the material being treated does not enter, but water is admitted thereto from the pipe 26 through a port at, and is discharged through a port 46 into an upflow passage d8 formed along the partition 14:, which is also provided with ports 50 nd 52 opening into said passage at the lower ends of the partitions 1 8 and 40,

llO

through a port 58 with an upfiow passage 60 leading to a discharge pipe 62, fitted with a valve 64, for the first separated product.

Below the partition 56' is a reversely inclined trough-shaped imperforate partition 66, the compartment thus formed between the partitions 56 and 66 also communicating with the said passage 60 as well as with the passage 48 through a port 68. A port 70 through the partition 14 leads from the bottom of this last compartment to the next left hand compartment below the partition 42, said port opening on to a trough 72 forming in effect a continuation of the trough-shaped partition 66. The remaining baflie partition construction is substantially but a repetition of that already described. Additional partitions 48, -10 and 42' form left hand cornpartments communicating with an upfiow passage 48', water being admitted through a valve controlled port 4-1 to supply water to said passage 48', which overflows into a right hand compartment between partitions 54 and 56; this last compartment discharges into an upfiow passage 60 leading ing a port 76 through which the flow discharges on to an oppositely inclined perforated partition'78 above and below which ports 80 and 82, respectively, are provided,

communicating with the final upflow passage 60" leading to a discharge pipe 62" having a valve 64 for the third separated product.

A water supply port 44 opens into the compartment below the partition 42' at the bottom of the tank, said compartment communicating througha port 84 with a right hand compartment formed between spaced inclined trough shaped partitions 86 and 88 below the partition 78 and also communicating with the passage 60". At the lower end of the partition 88 and at the bottom of the tank is provided a discharge pipe 62" fitted with a valve 64 for the final separated product. At the opposite side of the tank is provided a valved drain pipe 90 for drainage purposes whenever necessary. Communicating ports 92 are also provided in the partitions 10 just beneath the various transverse or inclined partitions.

In case it should be deemed advisable to impart a pulsating action to the flow through the tank, a reciprocating pump 94 may be installed in connection With the pipe 26 as illustrated in Fig. 1.

In the operation of the apparatus, the material which is to be treated (being what is termed the classified mill crush) is delivered by the chute 16 into the upper end of the tank on to the perforated trough-like partition 18, along with a stream of water from the inlet port 24:. At the same time water is delivered into the tank through the various other inlet ports 44, 44' and 44". The general direction of the currents which are thus established will be found indicated by arrows on the drawings. (Fig. 1.) Some of the particles of the material will pass through the perforations 20 of the partition 18; the most of it, however, passes to the lower end of said partition and through the port 50, where it meets the counterflow of water in the passage 48. This results in separation of the lighter particles from the heavier, the latter descending against the current and the former overflowing with it into the right hand compartment. The same action occurs with referenceto the material passing through the partition 18, said material entering the passage 48 through the port Obviously the presence of the perforations 20 in said partition 18 has thus expedited the separation of the heavier from the finer and lighter particles by allowing said heavier matter to pass at once to a lower level in the passage48 and out of the pathof the lighter material entering through the port 50. 'From said right hand compartment the only outlet is into the second upflow passage 60 where a further separation occurs and the first separated product of the finest and lightest particles of the material is taken off by the outlet pipe 62. The relatively heavier particles settle in said passage 60 and eventually join that portion of the material which is discharged from the bottom of the passage 48 and together are carried through the port 70 on to the perforated trough-shaped partition 18. From hereon the operation is a repetition of the foregoing, a second separation taking place the same as before and the separated product being withdrawn by the pipe 62. The material remaining now passes down the troughlike partition 74: and through the opening 76 on to the perforated partition 78,

from which the material is delivered at different levels into the passage 60", the lighter material being again taken off by the pipe 62 and the heavier settling to the bottom of the tank where it is removed through the pipe 62. The apparatus as illustrated shows a capacity for four separations, but it is clear that the number of these may be increased to any extent desired. The upward flow of all the currents may be decreased or diminished by regulating the quantity which is introduced from the pipe 26. If deemed advisable for certain conditions or grades of material, the actlon of the apparatus may neraoae be accelerated by the use of the pump 94 to impart a pulsating movement to the water currents, although this is by no means necessary for the carrying out of the essential operation of 'the apparatus as above described. The purpose of the side or auxiliary compartments 12 is to provide a stabilizing means in connection with the side walls of the tank, for equalizing the action of the apparatus, by virtue of the buffer efi'ect which is afforded by the water contained in these auxiliary compartments and communicating with the inner smaller compartments through the ports or openings 92.

While I have illustrated and described I what is now deemed to represent the preferred form of construction for embodying the improvements, I desire to reserve the right to make such changes or modifications as may fairly fall within the scope of the appended claims.-

Havmg described the invention, what ll claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: i I

' 1. An ore cleaning and concentrating apparatus comprising a tank provided with an inclined imperforate partition dividing the tank into a downflow compartment and a water compartment above and below said partition respectively, a second inclined troughlike perforated partition located within said downflow compartment, means providing an upfiow passage communicating with said water compartment and also with said downflow compartment both'below and above said perforated partition, and water supply means leading into said water compartment.

2. An ore cleaning and concentrating appartus comprising a tank provided with two downflow settling compartments, having an upfiow passageway forming the sole means of communication between said compartments and overflowing into one of said compartments, said passageway being provided with an outlet at its lower end into the latter of said compartments.

3. An ore cleaning and concentrating apparatus comprising a tank provided with two downfiow settling compartments having an upflow passageway forming the sole means of communication between said compartments and overflowing into one of said compartments and the latter compartment extending to a lower level than the othercompartment, said passageway being provided with an outlet at its lower end into said latter compartment, and said latter compartment being also provided with an upfiow outlet passageway for the discharge of the separated material.

4. An ore cleaning and concentrating apdownflow settling compartment, means providing an upfiow passageway opening into said compartment at both ends of said passageway, a water supply compartment communicating with said passageway intermediate the ends thereof, and means providin an upfiow passageway from the lower en' of said compartment for the discharge of the separated product.

6. An ore cleaning and concentrating ap-V paratus comprising a tank provided wlth a combined vertical and transverse inclined partitioning structure dividing the interior of the tank into a plurality of series of vertic'ally arranged compartments providing a zigzag path for the course of the material, means providing upfiow passageways between adjoining compartments of the different series of said compartments and for maintaining a flow of water through said passageways, said passageways having openings for thedischarge of the lighter materials at their .pper ends and of the heavier materials at t eir lower ends back into the compartments respectively associated with said lower ends of the passageways, and additional upfiow outlet passageways for removing the material separated at various stages in its flow through the tank.

7. An ore cleaning and concentrating apparatus comprising a tank provided with a combined vertical and transverse inclined partitioning structure dividing the interior of the tank into a plurality of series of vertically arranged compartments communieating with each other and providing a zigzag path for the course of the material through the tank, and means providing up flow outlet passageways for removin the;

material as it is separated at various flierent stages in its course through the tank, said tank being also provided with auxiliary water compartments on opposite sides of said first compartments and communicating therewith, for equalizing the action 0 the apparatus.

In witness whereof 1 hereto aifix my signature.

LEWIS H. FALLEY. 

